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New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Baseline Studies New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Baseline Studies October – December 2009 Quarterly Report Geo-Marine, Inc. 2201 K Avenue, Suite A2 Plano, Texas 75074 January 22, 2010 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Baseline Studies October-December 2009 Quarterly Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................................................iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE WORK PLAN........................................................................................... 1 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................................................................... 1 3.0 DIGITAL DATA COMPILATION...................................................................................................... 2 4.0 AVIAN PREDICTIVE/PROBABILITY MODEL ................................................................................ 2 5.0 BASELINE SURVEYS ..................................................................................................................... 3 5.1 SHIPBOARD OFFSHORE SURVEYS ........................................................................................... 3 5.1.1 Avian...................................................................................................................... 3 5.1.1.1 Survey Effort........................................................................................ 3 5.1.1.1.1 October 2009................................................................... 3 5.1.1.1.2 November 2009............................................................... 3 5.1.1.1.3 December 2009............................................................... 3 5.1.1.2 Survey Results .................................................................................... 3 5.1.1.2.1 Avian species occurrence ............................................... 3 5.1.1.2.2 Avian abundance............................................................. 3 5.1.1.2.3 Avian density................................................................. 10 5.1.2 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles ...................................................................... 19 5.1.2.1 Survey Effort...................................................................................... 19 5.1.2.1.1 October 2009................................................................. 19 5.1.2.1.2 November 2009............................................................. 19 5.1.2.1.3 December 2009............................................................. 19 5.1.2.2 Survey Results .................................................................................. 19 5.2 AERIAL SURVEYS ................................................................................................................. 23 5.2.1 Avian.................................................................................................................... 23 5.2.2 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles ...................................................................... 23 5.3 SMALL BOAT COASTAL SURVEYS .......................................................................................... 23 5.3.1 Survey Effort........................................................................................................ 23 5.3.1.1 October 2009 .................................................................................... 23 5.3.1.2 November 2009................................................................................. 23 5.3.1.3 December 2009................................................................................. 23 5.3.2 Survey Results .................................................................................................... 24 5.3.2.1 Avian Species Occurrence................................................................ 24 5.3.2.2 Avian Abundance .............................................................................. 25 5.3.2.3 Avian Density .................................................................................... 25 5.4 SUPPLEMENTAL AVIAN OFFSHORE AND ONSHORE SURVEYS.................................................. 27 5.4.1 Field Survey Methodology................................................................................... 27 5.4.1.1 Offshore Sawtooth Ship Transect Surveys ....................................... 27 5.4.1.2 Sea Watch and Transect Surveys .................................................... 27 5.4.2 Survey Effort........................................................................................................ 28 5.4.2.1 Ship Sawtooth Transect Surveys...................................................... 28 5.4.2.2 Sea Watch/Transect Surveys............................................................ 28 5.4.3 Survey Results .................................................................................................... 28 5.4.3.1 Ship Sawtooth Transect Surveys...................................................... 28 5.4.3.2 Sea Watch/Transect Surveys............................................................ 28 5.5 RADAR SURVEYS ................................................................................................................. 28 5.5.1 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 28 i New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Baseline Studies October-December 2009 Quarterly Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 5.5.2 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 28 5.6 THERMAL SURVEYS.............................................................................................................. 33 5.6.1 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 33 5.6.2 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 33 5.7 NEXRAD ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................... 33 5.7.1 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 33 5.7.2 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 33 5.8 ACOUSTIC SURVEYS ............................................................................................................ 33 5.8.1 August 2009 - Pop-Up Deployment Update........................................................ 33 5.8.2 Data Analyses/Processing .................................................................................. 33 5.8.2.1 March 2008 Deployment................................................................... 34 5.8.2.2 June 2008 Deployment ..................................................................... 34 5.8.2.3 September 2008 Deployment ........................................................... 34 5.8.2.4 December 2008 Deployment ............................................................ 34 5.8.2.5 March 2009 Deployment................................................................... 42 5.8.2.6 August 2009 Deployment.................................................................. 42 5.9 OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEYS.................................................................................................. 42 5.9.1 Surface Mapping System (SMS)......................................................................... 42 5.9.2 Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) Measurements .................................... 47 5.9.3 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Measurements ................................. 47 5.10 SIDE-SCAN SURVEYS ........................................................................................................... 48 5.10.1 October – December 2009 Survey...................................................................... 48 5.10.2 Area Surveyed and Transect Parameters........................................................... 48 5.10.3 Equipment ........................................................................................................... 48 5.10.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 48 6.0 INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM OFFSHORE WIND POWER FACILITIES ..................................................................................... 48 7.0 REPORTING .................................................................................................................................. 48 APPENDICES APPENDIX A REVIEWED LITERATURE APPENDIX A-1 FISHES APPENDIX A-2 MARINE BIRDS APPENDIX A-3 MARINE MAMMALS APPENDIX A-4 OFFSHORE WIND FARMS APPENDIX A-5 SEA TURTLES APPENDIX A-6 AVIAN PREDICTIVE/PROBABILITY MODELING APPENDIX B DIGITAL DATA COMPILATION ii New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Baseline Studies October-December 2009 Quarterly
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